Latest news with #carbonfibre
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Local F1 car manufacturers unusual take on very unusual project
A Formula 1 car manufacturer based in Swindon has been given the unusual job of restoring a giant frog. EVTEC Superlight, a carbon fibre brand located in Stratton, Swindon, does a lot for automotive industry. Now, they have been asked to help restore a giant frog that was found at a local school. Be the first to know with the Swindon Advertiser! 📱 💡 Our flash sale brings the latest local happenings directly to you. Save over 50% on an annual subscription now. 🔗 #SpecialOffer — Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) July 4, 2025 Ben Howe, 45, the quality manager at EVTEC Superlight, spoke about the company and how the frog project came about. He said: "We predominantly do F1 and motorsports along with aviation. We work with all the F1 teams other than Ferrari as they work in-house. "All the carbon fibre was sourced from us. 75 per cent of our business was F1 a few years back, but we have stepped back slightly as it is not overly sustainable. "We made the halo for McLaren cars and did the majority of the body work for Williams and engine work for Mercedes. "In the future, we are looking to get more into the aircraft industry with Airbus and Boeing. "We are now getting into the medical industry too and helping to build things that support emergency services." Recommended reading New neonatal ward opens to support premature births Pensioner 'heartbroken' after being turned away from cruise ship holiday Ship set to become world's largest reef had maiden voyage 72 years ago According to Ben, the company have helped create hanging frames from carbon fibre that can be put in the back of ambulances and hold and store more equipment. The frog came to them in a bit of a state with an eye smashed in and its coat of paint almost completely rubbed off. The company will be looking to give the frog happier days ahead. On the frog: "It was a bizarre day, we had a gentleman come and knock on our door asking if we could help with his frog. "I thought he meant an actual frog at first and was very confused, but then he showed us a giant made from glass fibre. "We said we are happy to take it on and try to restore it over the next few weeks." The frog was found at Gorse Hill Primary School by a groundskeeper after he was doing some work to cut back shrubbery in the area. Paul Lewis, 78, found the frog and thought it could be put to good use and used as part of the outdoor décor at the school. He said: "I work as an assistant caretaker at the school and was there to help out and clear the vegetation and incessant growth of brambles. "I was clearing a corner out with Ken the caretaker and this great big frog that has been decorated with multiple colours. "All I thought was that this is too good to throw away. "I knew of EVTEC through the previous company that they used to be under called Retrack, and so I figured if I do not ask, I do not get." The frog will return to the school as a community project in the next few weeks once restoration is complete. It will be used as part of a natural area that is planned to have a community garden. The headteacher at Gorse Hill, Candida Hutchinson, explained why the outdoor area is so important to the school. She said: "It is a good place to be, and we want to be able to invite the community in more and have parents more involved. "The frog being reused is also a good message for children to recycle. "It will go in the playground near the wildlife area, and hopefully sort out a community garden, and we are asking for donations to get this started."
The Herald
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
Corvette ZR1X launches with 932kW of hybrid power
The energetic design of the ZR1X reflects the ZR1 species with aerodynamic and thermal management accoutrements. Lightweight carbon fibre features on the front splitter, rocker panels, split rear window surround, roof panels and side air inlets. A ZR1X carbon fibre aero package is available, which adds a lot more carbon fibre as a high-wing spoiler, underbody strakes, hood lip gurney and dive planes work together to produce high downforce. Advanced traction and stability control systems, including PTM Pro designed, optimise performance across a variety of track driving conditions. R egenerative brake torque vectoring e ngineered to recover peak energy without sacrificing agility is integrated while f ront axle pre-control actively manages inside front brake pressure to control on-throttle wheel flares for consistent grip and composed handling at the limit. A fully customisable performance app displays performance data in real time with live graphs that show outputs over selectable time intervals.
Auto Express
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
BMW is killing carbon fibre to build its lightweight M cars from plants
BMW has developed an all-new material as a more sustainable replacement for carbon fibre, which is now ready for development and set to be used on production cars – including the new electric BMW M3 – within the next few years. Engineered in collaboration with Swiss firm Bcomp, natural-fibre composites offer similar properties to their carbon-fibre counterparts, but emit far less CO2 throughout production. Plus they can be recycled, unlike most forms of carbon-based composites. When developing such materials, the key issue was to ensure they are strong enough to be homologated for use on a car's roof; BMW says that when applied to its next-generation performance car – which we assume means the forthcoming BMW M3 EV – the usage of natural fibre coincides within a reduction of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions by 40 per cent, compared with using carbon fibre. The company says it can also help cut the usage of plastic in the interior by up to 70 per cent, too. Advertisement - Article continues below In appearance, natural fibre looks very similar to its carbon counterpart, with a distinctive weave pattern designed to replicate leaf veins, as well as a dark-grey colour. In fact, it's so similar that you may not have noticed it already being used on BMW's racing cars, including the M4 GT4 and DTM. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below As their name suggests, natural-fibre composites are made from materials such as plants or animal products. In this case, BMW and Bcomp's material is constructed using flax (a flowering plant) fibres that are grown naturally and harvested in Europe. The CEO of BMW M, Franciscus van Meel, said he was 'delighted' by the recent breakthrough, describing the new material as a 'vital element of innovative lightweight solutions in motorsport, allowing for a reduction in CO2e emissions in the manufacturing process'. 'We are now looking forward to the use of these materials in future BMW M product ranges,' he concluded. This breakthrough comes at a vital time, after the European Union recently drafted legislation to classify carbon fibre as a 'hazardous substance' as part of its ongoing End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive. This is because when carbon fibre is disposed of, the tiny particles generated can be an irritant – and even harmful – when inhaled or exposed to human skin. Such particles are also conductive, so have the potential to short-circuit machinery. However, thankfully for the automotive industry, the legislation remains at a draft stage, following the likes of Audi and Mercedes-AMG strongly submitting evidence against it. BMW also appealed to the EU, but the brand's recent investment in alternative materials does suggest it may just be a matter of time before carbon fibre disappears altogether. Now you can buy a car through our network of top dealers around the UK. Search for the latest deals… Find a car with the experts New Volvo EM90 2025 review: the ultimate SUV killer New Volvo EM90 2025 review: the ultimate SUV killer Volvo has made an ultra-luxurious van. Intrigued? You should be, but sadly it's for China only Smart Roadster could return as an electric Mazda MX-5 rival Smart Roadster could return as an electric Mazda MX-5 rival The Smart Roadster could be set for a comeback and our exclusive image previews how it could look New Audi Q3 reinvents the indicator stalk, but there's a whole lot more too New Audi Q3 reinvents the indicator stalk, but there's a whole lot more too Audi's not taking any risks with its all-new Q3; watch it sell like crazy
Top Gear
16-06-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
This is Mansory's take on the G90 BMW M5
This is Mansory's take on the G90 BMW M5 You be the judge. And while you're doing that, consider the 4.4-litre biturbo V8's now good for 838bhp... Skip 6 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 6 Might we interest you in some automotive smelling salts to clear that Monday fug? Mansory has the goods with its new G90-generation M5 kit, and we'll get on to those looks in a second. First, a power check. The P850 takes the hybridised 4.4-litre biturbo V8 even further: performance is up from 727bhp and 737lb ft to 838bhp and 848lb ft. It should mean this G90 beats the previous F90's 3.4s 0-62mph sprint - a feat the standard car... cannot. Advertisement - Page continues below Aside from the extra power, Mansory has sculpted in a series of lightweight carbon fibre body components, which, ironically, probably bloat the M5's 2.4-tonne weight even further. They've been coated in that strange pastel-like paint seen on several other Mansory products, like the MXC Pergusa, with orange highlights spawning across the body and brake calipers for more shock and horror. The M5 also gains forged 22in 10-spoke alloys - probably the subtlest thing about the package - and a new bonnet that features a sort of scorpion tail exoskeleton frame, with a central pillar that meets the glow-up grille. Beneath it, the engine gets a similarly themed cover. At the posterior, Mansory has added a small rear wing and a revised triple sports exhaust system, which it says looks 'stunning'. Like we said, we'll leave you to make that call. Advertisement - Page continues below Pricing for the P850 package has yet to be disclosed, but do consider you'll need £111,605 for the base car. Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
Top Gear
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
The Baltasar Revolt R is an 800kg Spanish track car with a giant wing
Electric Carbon and Kevlar concept is a lightweight EV that could charge to 80 per cent in five minutes Skip 5 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Back in April 2021, a new Spanish company told TG about its bespoke, lightweight 500bhp roadster. That was the Baltasar Revolt, and deliveries were originally scheduled to take place in 2022. That didn't quite happen, although we're now told the Revolt is entering the final stage of its homologation ahead of a proper launch in 2026. So, to drum up some renewed interest ahead of that launch, there is now a new track-only variant of the Revolt called… the Revolt R. Yeah, not the most creative name. Advertisement - Page continues below The aero looks much more creative, with Baltasar sticking on a giant active rear wing, a 'bespoke front end', new side skirts and a whopping great diffuser. There's also an FIA-compliant steel frame chassis underneath covered in full carbon fibre body panels. There's also a single carbon race seat, magnesium wheels fitted with slick tyres and a pushrod suspension setup with bits made from carbon, Kevlar and aerospace-grade aluminium. Heck, the whole thing only weighs 800kg. You might like Baltasar hasn't actually shared any details on the powertrain, but we know the standard road car was supposed to get a twin-motor rear-wheel drive setup with 500bhp and 738lb ft of torque. Should be pretty nippy, then. Oh, and the charging should be equally rapid, with the company claiming a top up to 80 per cent in just five minutes. Of course, it's likely to be a fairly small battery to allow for that, but if the circuit you're at has enough rapid chargers you'll be ready to go again before you've even had a chance to study your last lap data. Advertisement - Page continues below The price? Ah, well Baltasar tells us that there's 'no confirmed launch date or official price' as yet, but when it does go into production it should cost around €450,000. Yikes. Makes the £235k BAC Mono R look like a bit of a bargain, doesn't it? Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
